Writer Brianna Guntz reflects on the environmental consequences of marketing fall products while it’s still summer.
Writer Brianna Guntz reflects on the environmental consequences of marketing fall products while it’s still summer.
Skeletons sitting in beach chairs at the local CVS and pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks are all signs pointing to fall — in the middle of summer.
The official start of the autumnal season is Sept. 22 in conjunction with the Autumnal Equinox, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, a whole month after the release of seasonal drinks and decor. This push of seasons to come earlier each year isn’t new — it’s a calculated move by retailers.
Placing candy and holiday themed decor on shelves early places shoppers in the position of planning ahead, buying items “early and often,” according to Forbes. They accumulate goods like a hoarder without realizing how much money they’re spending.
And it works.
In 2023, Americans spent over $12 billion on Halloween alone, according to Investopedia.
The limited life-span of seasonal items makes them become not just wants but needs for buyers despite the goods’ relevance lasting just a few months.
This cycle of compulsive consumption generates far more waste than our planet can keep up with.
Halloween costumes often made of plastic and worn once add up to a combined 2,000 tons of trash, according to Simplify the Holidays a program at the Center for Biological Diversity. Jack-o’-lanterns with toothy grins sit rotting on front porches until ultimately being thrown out. An estimated 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins end up in the trash after the holiday, according to Science Alert.
While holiday excess may be normalized, it’s certainly not rational. Pumpkins are food. Costumes can be made out of clothes already in your closet. Faux leaves replicate the real ones that have fallen to the ground outside.
When did we become so wasteful?
The untimely arrival of synthetic retail seasons gives buyers a sense of urgency when making a purchase. The orchestrated fleeting nature of seasonal goods in stores fuels our overconsumption.
The obvious villain in this story is capitalism. To succeed companies must sell more and we must buy more — but we are equally at fault for blind consumption.
Individual household consumption produces more than 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions and accounts for between 50 and 80% of total land, material and water use, according to the Journal of Industrial Ecology. Seasonal goods and holidays increase household consumption, making us complicit in this unsustainable cycle.
Our role in holiday consumption doesn’t have to condemn us. As the catalyst for overconsumption, the average consumer also holds the power to lower the demand for preliminary seasonal goods.
Choosing to spend less can become a highly effective act of rebellion.
Canadian journalist and author JB MacKinnon, argues the adoption of sustainable technology does less to protect the environment than reducing consumption across all products.
“When people buy less stuff, you get immediate drops in emissions, resource consumption and pollution, unlike anything we’ve achieved with green technology,” MacKinnon said in a 2021 interview with The Guardian.
Put simply, buying less is good for the planet.
It’s possible to enjoy the seasonal changes and holidays while consuming less. Some of the best parts of autumn, like the cooler weather and colorful leaves, are completely free.
And when the gift-giving holidays do finally arrive, celebrations don’t justify consuming more. Seeking out second-hand gifts and shopping in-person instead of online are both ways for the individual consumer to lessen their impact.
It’s not too late to change the way we consume goods. Finding comfort in the present season instead of yearning for the next can also slow individual consumption. Instead of stocking up on Halloween candy and pumpkin spice flavored goods, soak up the final weeks of sun.
Summer isn’t over yet.
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